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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Bring Cool LED Light Into The Darkness!

For Christmas last year I received a really cool lantern. I'd never seen one like it before and that's pretty rare! It's L.E.D. (Light Emitting Diode) based so it's particularly efficient. I really have a soft spot for flashlights and lanterns. When I was little, I used to build "forts." Mostly a couple of broomsticks with blankets and towels hung across to make a cozy spot.

Hmmm...

Now that I think about it, perhaps that's why I like my tiny Class A RV?? Ah well, whenever I see a new, inventive or just plain cool light, I can't resist. When LED's began to come on the market, the number if nifty lights expanded dramatically. I am literally like the proverbial "kid in a candy store!"

This one was/is no exception. It's a 3 sided triangular shape that looks very futuristic. Really appeals to me! It has a simple slider switch that turns it on and lets you set the brightness. From just enough to way too bright. It has 9 LEDs per side, that's 27 LEDs total. The plastic "chrome" plated reflector bounces all that light around and makes for a pretty decent floodlight. At the 3 flat sides, you get a vertical rectangle of light, that is much brighter.

I am not particularly fond of the 5600K "Daylight" color of the LEDs. Some people really love the way it looks, but I still prefer the 3200K "Regular Old Incandescent Bulb" color. Sort of an orange-y yellow. Seems... homey-er.

It's also got a convenient handle that can be used to hang the lantern wherever you need.

Since it's powered by 3 full size "D" cell batteries, it should last a VERY long time. The batteries do make it a bit heavy, but that's OK. It will be much harder to tip over.

I had a bit of trouble getting the battery cover to close properly when I inserted the batteries. It's a water-tight compartment and has a thin silicone seal around the edge. It only goes completely on in one direction (there's a locating tab so that was OK) but you have to simultaneously push it down AND start the center screw. After a few tries I finally managed to get it on properly.

Once the batteries were in, I waited until dark to try it out. Unfortunately, my RV is covered AND has about 8 inches of snow on it and plowed snow built up around it, so photos of the lantern working in the RV will have to wait!

In the House, WITHOUT a flash, my old digital camera shows it's pretty bright. Even on LOW. On HIGH you couldn't see the lantern in the photo at all!

When I held it up to a window and turned it on, it lit up a HUGE chunk of my backyard. Some of that is likely reflected light from the snow cover though.

All in all, a nifty piece of equipment. Whether you use it for emergencies, walks at night or just supplemental light, it will work well and look cool doing it.